Charlotte home and Democrat., 1887-01-14
Common Sensa About Debt.
By Charles Phillips, D. D., L. L. D., of Chap
Hill NJ n

BY Charles PhlHlps, ID, IL. L.. D., OF chapel
HILL n. @.
l. Simple honesty requires this pay
ment An intelligent man knows when
he issin debt, and Conscience bids him get
out of il. A man whois careless or reck-
less sbout his debts 10 man with dead
Conscience.
2 A regard for his reputation urges 8
man to pay his debts. His veracity is in
danger while they are unpaid. Credit
was given him because he promised to pay
them. Confidence of man in man is in
iured by neglect ofsuch obligations.
g. Society is not q mass of separate indi-
viduals. Il consists OF men tied together
by faith in mutual promises. If A does
not pay his debts. he cannot expect to get
what B owes him whether it be money or
favors.
4. Law, the expression of authority, de-
maudsth paymenTof debts. Courts and
Jud ges and Lawyers exist to decide and
declare the necessity OF such payments.
Sheriffs and Consta bles are bound to exc
cute these declarations. The whole force
Of our Society, both moral and organized.
is at the back of our officials to secure the
payment OF what is justly owed. The
credit of men in business depends on the
personal reliability of debtors, and on the
vigorous, prompt impartial aud successful
execution of the laws which define for q
creditor his peculiar rights.
Hoao can Debts be Paid d?-In one of two
ways only. By the debtor himself or his
surety Either the debtor must himself
provide the necessary funds-from his
own property, that is by his own exertions
or he must provide sufficient surety.
one willing and able to pay the debt,
This ability consists in his having pro-
perty which is not liable for other debts.
The wit of man has never and nowhere
devised any other way to pay lawful
debts. Either of these two ways lead one
into a sure defense against the demands OF
lawful creditor.
4 Duty IS Deh.-Its very name
shows what it is. The word duty has the
same origin as debt. Both come from a
Latin word which means to owe. "Pay
what thou owest" is but another form OF
"Do your duty" "Do what you ought"
is also bnt command to pay ones debts.
doing. 1t is the duty of every rational
and responsible creature to love his Crea'
tor, to fear Him and to keep His command
table obligation. A man ought to love
his fellow-man, to love his wife, his family.
his country, to be truthful, and industri-
GUS, and courteous. and sympathetic, and
generous. Never, 80 long as he is alive,
can he escape from these debts. If he
neglect one, or if he has failed in the
sligh htest of these universal duties, he is in
debt to God, or to man, or to both. "Pay
what thou owest" will ring in his ears
wherever he is,-whatever he may be-
come. He must get rid of Conscience be.
fore he can become deaf to this cry. Law
must die that he may live free from these
and ten thousand other such debts.
We Must pay Them, or surety must
pay them for US. Annihilation is the only
relief from both of these obligations. II
the principal in these debts-the man sub.
ject to these duties-csnnot perform them,
he must, that he may be tree man, pre-.
sent proper surety. This surety must
according to common sense-be free from
above the law that imposes these duties.
Else his love, fear, honesty and lIberality
will free but his own self from the Law.
This must have what it claims. It cannot
give credit for more. -.. --..-.
Ii So then common-sense, without KeYela
tion, declares that man must pay his
debts, do his duty, act and feel as be
ought, either by himself or through an &C:
ceptable and accepted surety.
| To this conclusion from human phyloso
ply and experience the Word of God
gives full endorsement. As it is ap
pointed unto men once to die, but after
this the judgment: So Christ Was once
offered to bear the sins of many; and unte
them that look for him shall he appear The
second time without sin unto salvation.
Hebrews tx, 27, 90. Now sin ia a debt
and bearing of sin is the payment ol
debts, and a looking for Christ is Faith in
Him.
I"When tits we'll when it's done, then 'twere
| we'll 'twere done quickly"